STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Ill 



transformed into a chrysalis or pupa. In that way nature 

 attempts to hold these things in check. So we have fungous 

 diseases of various things. The next stage in the transformation 

 of this particular insect we find in this picture, and then we have 

 the full grown beautiful thing on the wing. And so, I sav, 

 insects form beautiful and attractive objects of study. 



Illustrations : Tlie Evergreen Trees. 



I have sometimes thought it would be an excellent thing for 

 horticultural societies to offer prizes for collections of tree seeds. 

 They ripen at this time of year. The seeds should be properly 

 named, and of course the competitors could not do this unless 

 they watched the tree flower, unless they traced it during the 

 season, and then collected the seeds in the fall. If you should 

 oft'er prizes for collections of native tree seeds, I think it would 

 greatly stimulate interest in the preservation of your native forest 

 trees. 



Here we have the common Norway spruce and just one or 

 two examples of things that are a little peculiar. The witch 

 hazel is one of those curious plants which blossom, as we think, 

 quite out of season. You will find these blossoms on your plants 

 now in the fall, after most things are thinking of going into 

 winter quarters. Again in the glory of the maple leaves, we 

 find objects of interest for nature study. I may say that these 

 leaves are also used by the Junior Naturalists in the primary 

 schools as objects for drawing lessons. 



We organize clubs in the grammar schools. These clubs are 

 carried on in the same way that ordinary clubs are carried on ; 

 that is, the children are made to pay dues. The dues are in 

 the form of original observations on plant, insect or natural life 

 of any kind. I have thrown on the screen here a couple of 

 sample letters from schools. Here is one addressed to "Uncle 

 John," the usual form of address. (Quotation from letter.) 

 Each of these observations is supposed to be original, and are 

 written during the English period so that the nature study les- 

 sons serve a double purpose. The pupil is credited by the 

 English teacher on her composition, and then the letter is sent 

 to "Uncle John" at the University, as the payment of monthly 

 dues. Some of the pupils are quite ambitious, as you see, not 

 satisfied with simply writing out a statement, embellish their 

 statement with original drawings. Here we have flowers and 



